1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical devises and, more specifically, to an apparatus for protecting the mouth of a patient receiving electroconvulsive therapy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains a standard clinical treatment for severe depression. It involves a series of treatments given under general anesthesia in a specially equipped treatment suite. An electrical current is either passed across the patient's forehead (bilateral ECT) or across two points over the right hemisphere (unilateral ECT) in order to induce a brief generalized seizure. During the passage of the electrical stimulus, despite the fact that the patient has been given a systemic muscle relaxant (succinylcholine), the masseter muscles contract forcefully, necessitating the use of a bit-block or mouth guard to protect the tongue, teeth, and other oral tissues.
For many years, it has been the standard of care to use a hard rubber bite-block. Such rubber bite blocks function adequately, but they are firm and do not have optimal energy-absorbing characteristics. A significant number of patients using rubber bite blocks complain of jaw pain and soreness after ECT. Some of this may be attributable to the fact that the firm rubber bite-block is too firm. In addition, the standard rubber bite-block requires cleansing after each use in the same patient and then autoclaving to make it sterile for use in a different patient.
Recently, a part-foam, part-cardboard disposable bite-block has become available. Although an improvement over prior devices, it does not absorb optimal amounts of force. The foam and cardboard bit block has the disadvantage of being stiff and, therefore, difficult to place in the patient'mouth. Furthermore, it requires several steps to manufacture, thereby increasing unit cost.